Pulp suction die



Aug. 14, 1928. 1,680,892

J. F. LOW

PULP SUCTION DIE Filed March 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIQA A V w 2.4 025 14 [L FE AL '|L 7 FIG.6 FIG.3 41

a BY

INVENTOR:

Aug. 14, 1928.

1 ,680,892 J. F. LOW

PULP SUCTION DIE Filed March 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Flab INVENTDRPatented Aug. 14, 19 28.

UNITED STATES JAMES FLEMING LOW, 01' TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

PULP SUCTION DIE.

Application filed March 21, 1927. Serial No. 177,086.

This invention relates to a pulp suction die for the manufacture ofmolded pulp articles, as described in the present specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawings which form part of the same.

The invention consists essentially of the.

novel features pointed out broadly and spelically in the claims fornovelty following a description containing an explanation in detail ofan acceptable form of the invention.

The objects of the invention are to build an efficient die, of simpleconstruction and easy of manufacture; to design a die so that it willnot easily plug, will be easily set upon and easily removed from themachine receiving it; and generally, to provide an economical diecapable of accomplishing the aforesaid objects.

This die is to be adapted to such machines as are used in the art ofmolding pulp articles, whereby the die is immersed into a liquid pulpmixture and vacuum applied to cause a layer of the solid pulp substanceto be deposited upon the surface of the die, thus molding the pulparticle into its intended form; this die is particularly intended to beused witlra pulp molding machineas disclosed in a co-pending applicationfiled December 16, 1926, as Serial No. 155,306.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a half-section and half-elevation side viewof the die, as mounted and ready for use;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a half-section and =half-elevation front view of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a topplan view of the frame locking the die proper withinthe die box;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the die proper;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the die box;

Figures 7 and 8 show a modification in the construction of the dieproper.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the variousfigures.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a die bracket of a suitablemachine (not shown) used in the manufacture of pulp articles and of thekind which is adapted to suck a liquid pulp mixture through a die. 11designates a pipe projecting beyond the face 12 of said bracket andleading to the vacuum producing means of the machine.

13 is the die proper, formed with the four side walls 14, the top orconfiguring wall 15, and the reinforcing ribs 16 extending between thesaid walls. The die proper, which may be cast and made of aluminum,hasits top wall or face made with cavities shown on the drawings assemi-spheres and designated by the numeral 16A, these cavities be ingshaped and sized to the configuration required.

17 is the die box, substantially box-shaped, Within which fits the die13; the bottom face 18 of the box is made fiat to be laid upon the fiatface 12 of the die bracket 10. The box is secured to the die bracket byany suitable means, such as' cap screws 20 passed through the. flange10A of the bracket, through clearance holes 22A in the box, and

threaded into the box as at 24A, substantially as shown in Figure 1.

The box has, immediately next to its four side walls, the flat portionor shoulder 21 upon which rests the die when locked or retained withinthe box; from the shoulder,

the inside face 23A of the bottom slants towards a center opening orhole 22 sized'to receive the round nut 31 carried by, the end of thepipe 11.

23 is a metal frame made to lie upon the top edges of the box, to whichit is secured in any suitable manner, as with cap-screws 26A passedthrough clearance holes 27 A in the frame and threaded into the sidewalls as at 28A.

, The frame is so made that its inner edges 24: will overhang or bearupon the top edges of the walls of the box, so as to, engage the die andretain it securely within the box. Parallelly-arranged slits 30 are cutthrou h the top wall 15 of the die and partly into the ribs, the slitsterminating shortof the walls 14. The distance between any twocontiguous slits, as well as their width, must be made such that thesolid pulp substance mixed in the liquid pulp mixture will be depositedupon the surface of the die while the liquid passes through the slits.

The slits are accordingly made very narrow and laid close to oneanother; the distance between any two slits is made about .015 of aninch, and the width of each slit made from .005 to .010 of an inch.

As the dieis immersed into a liquid pulp mixture and vacuum applied, theliquid is sucked through the slits and pulp substance deposited upon theface of the die, the contour of the layer of pulp depositedcorresponding to a plane figure enclosing the slits. Thus, with a dieformed as shown on the drawing, the ulp article molded would be that ofa at member having spaced half-spherical pockets. As the bottom of thedie box is slanted towards the opening 22, the liquid will be betterdrained and drawn into the ipe 11 and a clear space or vacuum chamber isthus provided between the die proper and the die box, as at 23A.

Instead of making the die proper from a solid casting having the topface or configurin wall cut through with slits, it may be ma e with aplurality of metal strips 32 parallellyaced by means of spacers 33, and33A all suitably secured in their spaced relation and to metal bars 34by means of suitable bolts 35-911 as best shown in Figures 7 and8without departing from the spirit and $00 of the invention.

In this modification of the invention, the strips 32 are made of anysuitable metal, such as copper, measuring approximately .015 of an inchin thickness and spaced at regular distances by the spacers whichmeasure between .005 and .010 of an inch. The spacers, which are alsomade of some suitable metal, are preferably formed with the top ridge 36extending to within a short distance of the top edge of the strips as at37. The strips and spacers are perforated to receive the bolts 35 whichfit at the ends into counter sunk holes 38 made inthe bars 34. Thestrips and spacers, once secured in their spaced relation and to thebars by means of the bolts, form the die proper; the die complete isthen fitted into the die box 17- as is the die disclosed in Figures 1 to6.

What I claim is:

1. In a pulp suction die, a molding memher having a top configuring wallformed with a plurality of spaced slot openings therethrough, a, hollowholder sized to receive said member and havingean inner peripheralshoulder adapted to engaged by said molding member and formin therewitha chamber communicating with said openings, a retaining frame adapted toenwith a centrally located opening therethrough, a frame sized to engagethe upper edge of said box and part of the configuring wall, means fordetachably securing said frame to said box, and means for detachablysecuring said mold to said box.

3. In pulp suction dies, a gridof closely set bars forming (gravity andsuction draining passages an having contiguous bars recessed in theupper sides for retaining the solid pulp and forming it into the desiredshapes,

4. In ulp suction dies a id 'comprisin a plurality of parallel bais lirizontally laid and extending downwardly to form vertical drainage andsuction passages, said bars being cupped for the molding of the desiredshapes.

5. In pulp suction dies, a suction member having a box support, a diebox rigidly secured to said support and having a shelving bottom fordra1ning.and vacuum purposes and a surrounding ledge and a grid on saidledge forming draining and suction passages between the bars to saiddrainage and vacuum chamber and recessed to form mold chambers.

6. In pulp suction dies, a id dished at parts and forming the mold ottomhaving passages between the bars formin ravity and suction drainsthrough the mofil bottom and a container forming a vacuum chamber belowsaid bottom.

Signed at the city of Toronto, this 8th day of March, 1927.

JAMES FLEMING LOW.

